It’s already December which means that any plans of traveling for Christmas or New Year is already “last-minute,” considering that prices of ticket fares and accommodation skyrocket at this time of the year.
Thanks to modern technology, it’s still possible to pull off a fun and stress-free holiday vacation without hurting your budget. Here’s how…
1. Let the deals choose your destination.
If you are looking for a way to cut costs, put your dream holiday to Paris on hold and let the available deals lead you to your destination (but if money isn’t an issue, then go ahead). Sites like Fareness and Kayak have tools that enable you to simply type in your current location and travel dates and it will show you all the destinations that offer the best airfare price. Same goes for accommodation, sites like Owner Direct can show you properties that offer significant savings.
2. Search for promo codes and sales.
There are sites where you can find unadvertised deals and secret promo codes. So it’s time to put that detective skills to good use and find some hidden promotions. Also take advantage of social media to find exclusive deals offered by companies on their social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, you still have to book or make your actual reservation on the main site. Don’t give out your details on random sites or social media because these schemes are just done by internet thieves.
3. Know when to book your flights.
Sales are usually launched during Mondays but wait till the Tuesday afternoon to book your flight because this is when airlines respond to competition by lowering their prices.
4. Go for vacation packages.
One good tip that I learned from my research is to check package deals that offer airfare, hotel and car rentals in one. You see, agencies purchase a batch of plane tickets in advance and as the travel date draws near, they need to sell everything or it will be a loss to their business – which obviously means that they will slash the prices. If you get lucky, not only will you be able to yourself from spending more, you also get to save yourself from the stressful planning and booking.
5. Travel on the holiday itself.
If you don’t mind spending Christmas or New Year 37,000 feet above the ground, then you’ll be able to save a lot. Airfare is significantly cheaper when flying on the 25th of December and 1st of January.
6. Place last-minute bids.
There are sites where you can bid on airfare that lets you save up to 50% off on last-minute flights. Check out Bidontravel.com to see how you can easily bid last-minute flights on Priceline.
